Honda's Small Jet Makes 1st Test Flight

Tokyo, June 29 (Jiji Press)--Honda Motor Co.'s <7267> mass-production small jet, dubbed HondaJet, has made its first test flight, the firm has said. The aircraft, still being developed in the United States, can carry six to seven people including crew. Featuring high fuel efficiency, HondaJet is slated to sell for 4.5 million dollars, according to the company. Honda has already received more than 100 orders from corporate users and billionaires. The test flight was conducted on Friday in North Carolina, where subsidiary Honda Aircraft Co. is located. "With this first flight, the HondaJet program has entered the next exciting phase as we prepare for delivery," Honda Aircraft President and Chief Executive Officer Michimasa Fujino said in a statement. The first flight is "the culmination of extensive engineering and production efforts, and this is an important achievement in bringing the world's most advanced light jet to market," he said. Honda plans to start deliveries of HondaJet in 2015 after obtaining a type certification from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. HondaJet flies at a maximum cruise speed of 778 kilometers per hour. Unlike other planes, the aircraft has its engines mounted onto its wings. END